Rethinking: The VIA Model – Why Leaders Must Redefine the Meaning of Virtue in Action

„From Idealism to Leadership Realism.“

The Rethinking Impulse as a RethinkAudio – Listen. Reflect. Analyze. Advance.

What it’s all about

For decades, leadership discourse has been saturated with terminology, models and frameworks, many of which have taken root in the minds of leaders without ever being subjected to deeper scrutiny. Some of these concepts have proven to be of enduring relevance, while others have ossified into unchallenged dogma, entirely detached from the true complexities of leadership and self-governance. The VIA model serves as a prime example of such intellectual drift. Originally conceived as a framework for the cultivation of character strengths, it has in many organisations been reduced to little more than a decorative tool – ensnared in a web of misconceptions, misinterpretations, and toxic mental shortcuts.

Misconceptions, Misinterpretations and Toxic Mindsets Surrounding the VIA Model

Many managers perceive the VIA model as a utopian manifesto for moral virtue, hopelessly idealistic and thus impractical within the unforgiving realities of corporate life. Virtues such as humility, gratitude, or kindness are dismissed as sentimental indulgences – irrelevant, if not outright obstructive, to the pursuit of efficiency, performance metrics and strategic results. Such a view not only impoverishes the concept of leadership but also impoverishes the leaders themselves, severing them from the deeper psychological and philosophical reservoirs of their own humanity.

Equally pervasive is the erroneous belief that the VIA strengths constitute a static inventory of traits – one either possesses them or does not. This rigid, binary interpretation reduces human development to a mere diagnostic snapshot, stripping the model of its transformative, evolutionary potential.

Another dangerous misreading presents the VIA model as a once-in-a-career exercise – a personality audit to be conducted, filed, and promptly forgotten. This relegates what could be a lifelong developmental compass to the status of administrative paperwork.

Perhaps the most pernicious mindset, however, lies in the belief that leadership strength and character strength are entirely distinct entities. Many team leaders cling to the notion that effective leadership relies predominantly on analytical prowess, tactical acuity, and assertive authority, with personal character considered a private concern at best. Such compartmentalised thinking not only distorts the very essence of authentic leadership, but also erodes the moral and psychological coherence necessary for sustained credibility and resilience.

A Precise Definition of the VIA Model and Its True Significance

To disentangle these misapprehensions, leaders must first grasp the VIA model in its full intellectual and practical scope. VIA stands for Values in Action – a scientific framework emerging from Positive Psychology, which identifies 24 universal character strengths observed across cultures and contexts. Ranging from creativity, judgement, and courage to humility, humour, and spiritual connection, these strengths form the essential building blocks of personality. Crucially, they do not exist in isolation – they shape how individuals think, feel and act, interweaving into the very fabric of personal identity.

For leaders, the VIA model is far more than a tool for self-assessment. It provides a developmental map, a reflective mirror, and a strategic compass – guiding both personal growth and relational integrity. It affirms that leadership excellence emerges not merely from technical proficiency or procedural mastery, but from the conscious, deliberate activation of one’s inner strengths as the moral and psychological scaffolding of leadership action.

Philosophical Dimensions of the VIA Model in Leadership

Viewed through a philosophical lens, the VIA model rekindles an ancient inquiry: What does it mean to lead well? Here, Aristotelian virtue ethics offer profound insights. Exceptional leadership, in this tradition, arises from the harmonious cultivation of knowledge, character, and action. Virtues are not static traits but dynamic equilibria – the artful balancing of excess and deficiency in each context. This continuous balancing act, known as mesotes, transforms the VIA model into a philosophical compass for leaders who seek enduring wisdom rather than fleeting success.

Simultaneously, the VIA model resonates with existential philosophy, particularly its call to authentic self-knowledge and responsibility. To lead is to enter a profound moral contract: to know oneself honestly and to assume responsibility not only for one’s own development but also for the ethical and psychological impact one has on others. The VIA strengths are not ornamental values; they are existential imperatives, shaping how leaders respond to ambiguity, crisis, and moral conflict. Leaders who shy away from these questions reduce leadership to a functional task – a hollow shell devoid of ethical substance.

Psychological and Depth-Psychological Perspectives

From a psychological standpoint, the VIA model bridges personality psychology and Positive Psychology, demonstrating that genuine leadership development does not stem from repairing weaknesses, but from systematically cultivating existing strengths. This, however, demands an unflinching examination of one’s own psychological architecture: Which strengths have become integral to my identity? Which have been repressed by cultural norms, educational conditioning, or personal experiences? Which unconscious biases lead me to devalue certain strengths while over-glorifying others?

A depth-psychological reading further reveals the inner dialectics between conscious strengths and their shadow sides. A leader who identifies strongly with courage, for instance, may unconsciously repress vulnerability – only to act out this repression through reckless decision-making. It is only by embracing both the light and shadow of each strength that authentic leadership can emerge.

Economic and Occupational Psychology Perspectives

From an economic psychology standpoint, the VIA model underscores the strategic significance of values-driven corporate cultures. Leaders do not shape culture through rhetorical declarations but through the lived, observable embodiment of their values. A leader who consistently demonstrates curiosity, fairness, or gratitude does not merely preach these values – they imprint them into the organisation’s psychological DNA. Thus, the VIA model becomes a strategic instrument for cultural evolution.

In the domain of occupational psychology, strengths-based leadership emerges as a critical driver of employee wellbeing and sustainable performance. Leaders who understand and leverage not only their own strengths but also those of their teams foster environments of psychological safety, intrinsic motivation, and collective self-efficacy – essential attributes for organisational adaptability in volatile, uncertain environments.

Health Psychology Implications for Leadership and Self-Management

From a health psychology perspective, the VIA model functions as a potent antidote to burnout and executive exhaustion. Leaders who consciously align their actions with their strengths experience greater flow, heightened meaning, and stronger intrinsic motivation – all of which contribute to psychological resilience. Moreover, this alignment enhances internal coherence, a central pillar in salutogenesis – the science of maintaining health through coherence, meaning, and manageable challenges.

Why Leaders Must Rethink the VIA Model – Now and for the Future

A manager who embraces the VIA model as a dynamic developmental framework cultivates a deeper, more integrated form of self-leadership. This inner clarity translates directly into external leadership efficacy: those who know and trust their own strengths lead with greater composure, navigate conflict with poise, make decisions with moral clarity, and radiate authenticity. Furthermore, strength-based leadership becomes a transformative force within team culture – shifting the focus from deficit correction to potential realisation. In an era defined by talent shortages, diversity challenges, and the evolving demands of hybrid work, this shift is no longer optional; it is imperative.

Rethinking with the R2A Formula: Reflect. Analyse. Advance.

Reflect: Craft a strengths profile using the VIA framework. Reflect deeply: Which strengths animate your leadership naturally? Which have been suppressed by role expectations, organisational culture, or self-doubt? Which neglected virtues may hold the key to your future growth?
Analyse: Critically evaluate the alignment between your day-to-day leadership behaviour and your personal values in action. Identify moments when you compromised your strengths under pressure and examine the psychological, relational and ethical consequences.
Advance: Establish a daily reflective ritual where you consciously select one strength to embody in your interactions and decisions. Observe its impact not only on others but on your own sense of authenticity and inner stability. Experiment with strengths that challenge your habitual leadership identity and cultivate new relational pathways with your team.

Key Learning

Rethinking the VIA model demands that leaders cease treating virtues as decorative embellishments and begin recognising them as the indispensable psychological and ethical infrastructure of leadership excellence.